Demand soaring for emergency food hampers, says Union Gospel Mission
Posted August 7, 2025 4:55 pm.
Last Updated August 8, 2025 5:14 pm.
The price of groceries continues to rise across the country, and one Metro Vancouver charity says food insecurity and the demand for help are skyrocketing.
Union Gospel Mission (UGM) says it started helping locals in need with emergency food hampers during the pandemic. In 2020, the group gave out just over 1,400 hampers. By 2024, that number reached over 4,000.
So far this year alone, UGM says, it has already given out 4,100 hampers and is on track to give out more than 8,000 hampers this year — double last year’s number and 600 per cent higher than in the program’s first year.
“It really speaks to just how expensive food is that we’re seeing a lot more people turn to this service,” said Nick Wells, the organization’s spokesperson.
“To see that kind of spike in demand since [COVID] and that continued push for access to these programs is a surprise.”
One in four people across Canada is food insecure, and the rate is even higher for children — one in three. Wells says this is heartbreaking and should be seen as a wake-up call.
“This is obviously just a segment of the population that’s witnessing this, but this does speak to a wider issue as well,” he said.
UGM’s emergency food hampers contain staples like pasta, canned goods, and oatmeal, as well as gift cards to a local grocery store. They are given out free of charge to those in need through UGM’s Women and Families Centre. Wells says the cost of the program is around $10,000 per month.
Those wishing to donate to UGM’s emergency food hamper program can do so at ugm.ca/donate.
